prone

Lying face-down.

Adjective

  1. Lying face-down.
    • prone position
    • But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over...

    Synonyms: prostrate

    Antonyms: supine

  2. Of the hand, forearm or foot: turned facing away from the body; with the thumb inward or big toe downward.
    • The hand is in the prone position typically when using a keyboard; and the forearm is then also in the prone position; when the foot is resting on the inner side of the sole, it is in the prone position.
  3. Having a downward inclination or slope.
  4. Shooting from a position while lying down.
  5. Predisposed, liable, inclined, given (to something) (most often, specifically to being befallen by an unsought bad outcome, rather than to undertaking a willful behavior or to having a happy accident).
    • prone to failure
    • Nor are mine ears with thy tongue's tune delighted; / Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone, / Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited / To any sensual feast with thee alone: […] - 1609, William Shakespeare,...

Origin

From Middle English prone, proone, proon, from Latin prōnus (“turned forward, bent or inclined”), from prō (“forward”).

Forms

proner more prone pronest most prone

Synonyms

neveling nuel

Antonyms

supine

Derived

accident-prone atheroprone error-prone fault-prone flood-prone floodprone gossip-prone injury-prone overprone pronate pronation -prone prone-bone proned proneness prone position prone positioning prone to proning semiprone unprone

Verb

  1. To place in a prone position, to place face down.

Forms

prones proning proned

Derived

prone out